Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an organizational accessory, and pertains especially to a three-ring notebook binder accessory into which small cards including educational flashcards and business cards are easily inserted, sorted into groups, and transported.
My invention is called xe2x80x9cAn Organizing and Storage System for Cards,xe2x80x9d hereafter referred to as either xe2x80x9cSmall Card Organizerxe2x80x9d or simply xe2x80x9cOrganizer.xe2x80x9d
2. Discussion of Prior Art
One of the problems with learning a new vocabulary such as a foreign language or with organizing vast amounts of information is the ability to organize and manage information easily to facilitate learning. One learning tool for learning vast amounts of information is flashcards. But flashcards, often used in large quantities, need to be managed and organized. For learning and using flashcards, individuals need an organizing system that:
compactly carries and stores flashcards,
provides a place in which to segregate and organize flashcards,
facilitates fast manipulation of flashcards.
There are some systems available today, such as metal key rings and rubber bands, but there is no known system that provides the ability to easily carry, categorize and reorganize cards easily.
Students learning any subject including foreign language are always looking for ways to organize information in a manner that helps them increase their retention. One learning tool for learning vast amounts of information is flashcards. Students using flashcards will often take a large stack of flashcards and divide them into smaller and manageable chunks. Out of a stack of 100 flashcards, users may easily learn 40 words, with one word per flashcard, but have problems learning the remaining 60. So from the stack of 100, they remove the first 40 flashcard, bind them together with a rubber band, and call the new smaller stack xe2x80x9cExpert-Levelxe2x80x9d. Next, they divide the remaining 60 cards into two subgroups. If 45 flashcards are somewhat difficult to learn (but not extremely difficult), they will segregate those 45 flashcards and place them into a stack identified as xe2x80x9cIntermediate-Level.xe2x80x9d
The remaining 15 (and more difficult) flashcards become a third stack titled xe2x80x9cDifficult-Level.xe2x80x9d These 15 words will now be easier to learn because psychologically, the task looks much smaller, and tactically, problems divided are problems that have been resolved. Over a week""s time, users will learn many of the Difficult-Level words and then migrate them toward the expert-level stack. Both the Difficult-Level Stack and the Intermediate-Level Stack will gradually become smaller while the expert-level stack becomes larger.
Managing and organizing many flashcards, however, can be challenging. For example, rubber bands are often used to keep the flashcard stacks intact, however, rubber bands can be cumbersome. Rubber bands hold together flashcards, but they make it difficult to insert or withdraw flashcards from a stack. This requires that one remove the rubber band. But Repeatedly banding and un-banding stacks with rubber bands is cumbersome and detracts from learning efforts, so one may intentionally leave stacks un-banded or loose while working with them. But loose stacks can get easily get mixed up with cards from other stacks, especially considering that flashcards should be handled quickly, in split-second operations, shuffled quickly from hand-to-stack and between categorized stacks. Students who use flashcards while commuting on a bus will need to give attention and account for flashcards that might have fallen to the floor. Rubber bands break if they are stretched too tightly or used frequently. Another drawback to rubberbanding is that bundled flashcards are not comfortable in one""s pant pockets. In a student""s backpack, cards-stacks are small enough to settle to the bottom, thus making them a nuisance to locate later. Flashcard bundles can be misplaced, left in yesterday""s coat pocket, or accidentally left on the nightstand. Related flashcard stacks can get separated from each other.
Another popular solution for managing flashcards is to use flashcards that are bound together on a metal ring such as those holding car keys, house keys, etc. . . . Each flashcard has a small hole through which the ring may penetrate thereby holding all cards together. Although this method does keep cards together, the flashcards on a key ring is a serial-file and does not allow for easy management, rapid sorting, or re-categorizing of cards during the learning process.
In summary, the problem with organizing vast amounts of information on flashcards creates a demand for a management system that makes it easy to transport, store and easily categorize flashcards.
Cited below are a listing of patents that were found to be related to notebook binders or card organization.
Design Patent D340,473 (Oct. 19, 1993, Connie M. Dubs, xe2x80x9cLoose-Leaf Binder sheet for Organizing Couponsxe2x80x9d) is a coupon organizer. Within each coupon receptacle, however, flashcards would disperse within the envelope due to the envelope""s large size, therefore users would have to reach into envelope and feel for the cards before retrieving them. It is uncertain if the envelope depth is deep enough to hold the desired quantity of cards. In any event, users would have to manipulate or xe2x80x9cwigglexe2x80x9d any additional flashcards into the envelope if, already, there were flashcards held in the recesses of the large envelope. Although only a slight problem for coupon use, getting flashcards to fit in among other cards would become a nuisance; the work with flashcards ought to be quick and frequent.
Design Patent D272,748 (Feb. 21, 1984, Velma R. Kirk, xe2x80x9cPocket Insert for Notebookxe2x80x9d) is a three-ring binder insert with receptacles for paper and other unspecified items. For use as a flashcard organizer, drawbacks to this patent include those encountered with D340,473 (the Coupon Organizer). An additional drawback is that this design fails to provide a satisfactory means to secure flashcards from becoming dislodged from the envelope.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,646 (Nov. 17, 1970, John W. Kizler, xe2x80x9cFile Envelope Having Side-By-Side Extensible Pocketsxe2x80x9d) is a two-pocket holder. It provides a curved indentation on the envelopes"" front wall for improved access to enclosed items, two side-by-side pouches, and a single and a single flap to hold contents in either pocket. It is problematic, however, that a common wall is shared by two pockets. When the pockets are compressed (as if a stack of books were placed on top) the common wall between them deflects away from one of the pockets but in toward the other pocket. This would take space intended for flashcards in pocket two and introduce an obstacle against inserting flashcards. The user may be required to use one hand to spread wider the envelope opening while using the other hand to insert Flashcards. The common wall has a second drawback: the tab that secures it to the back wall of the pockets is exposed to items being inserted into one of the pockets, and it would becomes a nuisance-obstacle against frequent and rapid insertion of flashcards into that pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,896 (Sep. 5, 1972, Strohm Newell, xe2x80x9cCard Casexe2x80x9d) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,618 (Nov. 30, 1999, Duksung Joh, xe2x80x9cPocket Carrier of Index Cardsxe2x80x9d) are both rigid index card boxes. While the cases are transporters of cards, they are not categorizing tools, neither do they plug into notebook binders, and they are bulky.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,841 (Aug. 27, 1991, Michael N. Friedman, xe2x80x9cCombined Cover and Storage Compartment for a Ring Binderxe2x80x9d) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,561 (Jun. 30, 1992, Idstein Wilfried, xe2x80x9cFolio Including Filing Perforationsxe2x80x9d) are storage compartments for transporting contents, but they do not provide for plurality of envelopes to help sort or categorize cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,057 (Mar. 6, 1990, Richard A. Davi, xe2x80x9cClosed Portable Card Filexe2x80x9d) is an index card case suitable for organizing cards numerically or alphabetically, but the box is much larger in volume than required for flashcard use, and it is neither convenient for transport in a backpack nor within a notebook binder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,450 (Sep. 30, 1986, Rhoda Neiman, xe2x80x9cPortable Index Card Holder for Notebooksxe2x80x9d) is a holder in which to organize index cards for display purposes, and it would be well suited for categorizing meal recipes or photographs. This holder""s pockets, however, are neither suitable for rapidly inserting or withdrawing cards, nor for inserting (or categorizing) large quantities of cards into any given pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,867 (Feb. 25, 1986, Marvin E. Williams, xe2x80x9cInformation Organizing Devicexe2x80x9d) is a three-ring binder insert with numerous card receptacles, and each receptacle is accessed through a slit-like aperture for inserting a card. While the system allows users to organize and rank individual cards, any one receptacle is not well-suited to accommodate more than one card each, and each slit""s aperture is unsuitable for frequent and rapid insertion of cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,438 (Jan. 4, 1994, Warren Struhl, xe2x80x9cFile Folder with Attached Computer Disc Pocketxe2x80x9d), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,271 (Apr. 15, 1997, James A. Bergh, xe2x80x9cThree-Ring Binder Page for Holding Compact Disksxe2x80x9d) are binder inserts intended to hold compact disks or floppy disks. These types of products have pockets that are intended to tightly hold their intended contents, but they would not lend well to frequent, rapid and recurring insertion and removal of contents.
Investigation of prior art has discovered pertinent organizational and storage accessories, but none are known to provide all of the following:
facility to compactly carry and store flashcards,
multiple pockets or envelopes in which to segregate and organize flashcards,
design and size of card carrier to permit easy and frequent deposit/withdrawal of flashcards into any given pocket or envelope.
The Small Card Organizer, or simply xe2x80x9cOrganizerxe2x80x9d, is an accessory that fits into a notebook binder. It is typically composed of a substrate (such as a three-ring binder insert sheet), and to it are mounted a number of miniature-sized pouches called carriers. The carriers, enclosed on the bottom, front, side and back, provide a single opening through their top for inserting card materials. To keep card materials from falling out through the carriers"" openings, retaining members are also provided with the Organizer. Retaining members, which resemble flaps, are fixed to the substrate or carriers.
The Organizer is a system of pouch-like carriers for holding and categorizing flashcards. Each of its carriers compactly hold flashcards in a neatly arrayed manner, and their construction enable easy insertion and withdrawal flashcards. The plurality of carriers give users plenty of places in which to categorize their flashcards. The Organizer is a long-term storage holder and a conveniently-sized, modular transporting vessel. The Organizer reduces the amount of time that a user spends on flashcard administration and maximizes time spent on learning flashcard content.
The Organizer helps manage a large quantity of flashcards. Foreign language, natural sciences, and law are typical studies that require learning new vocabularies. The Organizer is a tool to help learn those vocabularies. Users can engage in rapid flashcard review and focus on learning content. After completion of a flashcard study session, the Organizer securely holds each group of flashcards within their respective carriers.
The Organizer""s carriers are designed and manufactured so that both inserting and withdrawing flashcards is an ergonomically easy operation. A set of accordion-folds on each carrier will allow the carrier to compress in volume to absorb any displacement caused by pressure applied by a closed notebook binder that is in a backpack or under a stack of books. Each Organizer has at least one retaining member (or flap) to keep cards from dislodging from within the carriers when flashcards are being transported. Durable carriers, retaining-member(s) and substrate can be economically-made from paper cardstock.
Each carrier is assigned a certain flashcard category. When users want to study flashcards from a certain category, they know where to find them. Users who only have 5-minutes to study during lunch break (or prior to exam-time) will open their three-ring binders and, within seconds, be reviewing the flashcards that they targeted. The Organizer will provide educational return on each session of study whether 3 hours or 3 minutes.
Notebook binders make it easy to organize learning materials such as course syllabus, lecture notes, homework assignments, etc. Notebook binders are an equally logical place for keeping flashcards. Flashcards assigned to a notebook binder will rarely be lost or misplaced.
The Organizer will enable users to work with an unusually large quantity of flashcards and to do so methodically and rapidly. It allows users to reliably retain cards within their categorized groups and transport them while maintaining integrity of organization. Users can divert their attention from administering flashcards while committing more attention to learning flashcards"" content. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the drawing and ensuing description.